Public Education Network Weekly NewsBlast
"Public Involvement. Public Education. Public Benefit."
***************************************************************
MOST PARENTS RAISE MONEY, SPEND MONEY FOR SCHOOLS
Poll results released today by National PTA show that parents are
worried
about the future of public education. Parents are seeing classrooms
with
wall-to-wall desks and are opening their wallets to save art and music
programs. Additionally, an overwhelming 93 percent of public school
parents said that education will play a major role in their decision
about
which candidate to support in this election year. In a national
telephone
poll of 800 public school parents, more than half of the respondents
(55
percent) ranked school funding as a top issue facing public schools
today
-- eclipsing both school safety and quality. Additionally, 85 percent
of
parents believe the federal government should provide more funding for
education. In response to tightened budgets, parents and schools are
becoming more dependent on fundraisers. According to the poll, 79
percent
of parents are being asked to fund items and needs that have
traditionally
been covered by school budgets including paper, cleaning supplies,
transportation, technology, teacher salaries, educational curriculum
and
art or music programs. 39 percent are contributing more than $100 to
their
kids classrooms each year and one-in-ten (11 percent) say they're
giving
more than $300 a year.
http://www.pta.org/aboutpta/pressroom/pr040224.asp
IS THIS ANY WAY TO PAY FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION?
In New Jersey, a school official is contemplating peddling the naming
rights to the district's only school on eBay, reports Kristen A.
Graham.
"We understand what's going on in the educational marketplace," said
superintendent John Kellmayer said. "In 10 years, this is going to be a
fact of life. We're aggressive enough to start this now." Aggressive,
creative or crazy: Take your pick. Kellmayer and Bruce Darrow, school
board president and "director of corporate development," preside over a
district that is banking not just on government aid but on selling
naming
rights, snagging sponsorships, and launching other money-generating
ventures to fund its future. "We're working people," Darrow said. "But
we've got to get our kids on equal footing, and we have to be
innovative."
To those who fight against commercialization in education, Brooklawn's
current path is a sacrilege, a body blow to the last bastion of
unblemished public space. Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial
Alert, a national anti-commercialism group, says the path the school
district is taking is foolish and dangerous. "There's no doubt that
thousands of school districts around the country are desperately short
on
funds, but the answer is not to put our kids up for sale," said Ruskin,
who believes that Brooklawn administrators could better spend their
time
lobbying to reverse federal tax cuts to fund education.
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/education/8009054.htm
NEA CALLS FOR BUSH TO FIRE EDUCATION CHIEF
The National Education Association (NEA) has asked President Bush to
fire
Education Secretary Rod Paige for calling the union a "terrorist
organization." The White House said Paige's job was safe, reports Ben
Feller. Paige, who made his comment in a recent private meeting with
governors, apologized for his choice of words but maintained that the
union uses "obstructionist scare tactics" in its fight over the
nation's
education law. Reg Weaver, president of the union of 2.7 million
teachers
and other school workers, said that NEA members deserve more than
"unfair
labels and mean-spirited apologies." "We have heard from thousands of
educators who came home from their schools on Monday to hear themselves
and their professional organization referred to as terrorists by the
top
federal education official," Weaver said. "Our members say that, once
again, this national leader has insulted them, this time beyond repair,
with words filled with hatred -- and merely because they raised
legitimate
concerns about the president's so-called No Child Left Behind law."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2001864622_nea25.html
WRITE TO SECRETARY PAIGE, LET HIM KNOW YOU VALUE TEACHERS
Click below to join the thousands of concerned citizens who have
already
sent a letter to Secretary Paige to encourage him to foster a spirit of
mutual respect and cooperation with the men and women who educate our
nation's children.
http://www.givekidsgoodschools.com/campaign/paige
ROLE OF MEDIA IN CHILDHOOD OBESITY
The Kaiser Family Foundation released a new report reviewing more than
40
studies on the role of media in the nation's dramatically increasing
rates
of childhood obesity. The report concludes that the majority of
scientific
research indicates that children who spend the most time with media are
more likely to be overweight. Contrary to common assumptions, however,
most research reviewed for this report does not find that children's
media
use displaces more vigorous physical activities. Therefore, the
research
indicates that there may be other factors related to children's media
use
that are contributing to weight gain. In particular, children's
exposure
to billions of dollars worth of food advertising and marketing in the
media may be a key mechanism through which media contributes to
childhood
obesity. The report cites studies that show that the typical child sees
about 40,000 ads a year on TV, and that the majority of ads targeted to
kids are for candy, cereal, soda and fast food.
http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia022404pkg.cfm
ALL OF MINNESOTA LEFT BEHIND?
A new report estimates that 80 percent to 100 percent of Minnesota's
school districts will not meet expectations of the federal No Child
Left
Behind Act, according to a state official familiar with the report. The
much-anticipated Legislative Auditor's report is also expected to say
that
by 2014, a significant number of schools will have been listed as
under-performing for at least five years, reports John Welsh. That
means
they would face numerous penalties, ranging from changes in curriculum
to
possible state takeover under a proposal last month by Gov. Tim
Pawlenty.
In a state that ranks at or near the top on many national
student-achievement measures, the report's findings that so many school
districts are considered under-performing are sure to be unsettling.
They
also will add fuel to a smoldering rebellion at the Legislature on the
No
Child Left Behind Act.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/living/education/8041554.htm
HOME IS WHERE THE SCHOOL IS
Before last fall, the state of Arkansas nose was firmly out of the
business of educating Meredith O'Hara's three daughters. Though a
professed supporter of public schools, O'Hara and her husband had
either
homeschooled their children or enrolled them in private schools, paying
the entire cost themselves. Enter the Arkansas Virtual School. This
year,
O'Hara still teaches her children at their West Little Rock home,
reports
Jennifer Barnett Reed. But the government both picks up the tab --
upwards
of $6,000 per child (about $1,500 more than the state spends, on
average,
on children in "real" public schools) -- and keeps tabs on their
progress.
O'Hara gets a computer, books and materials and help from a certified
teacher; in exchange, the teacher evaluates her daughters' work every
couple of weeks, and the girls take the state's standardized tests each
spring. O'Hara is thrilled with the arrangement -- not because of the
financial benefit, she said, but because of the high-quality,
all-in-one
curriculum and the fact that she's accountable to someone for her
children's progress. But as evidenced by a recent dust-up in the
legislature plenty of folks don't share O'Hara's enthusiasm for virtual
schooling.
http://www.arktimes.com/040213coverstorya.html
DEVELOPING VOCABULARY & DEEPENING READING COMPREHENSION
Successful reading requires more than an ability to decode, or ''sound
out,'' words writes E.D. Hirsch, Jr. It also requires adequate
background
knowledge, or "cultural literacy." Without background knowledge of
history, literature, art, music, science and math, students will read
--
but without comprehension. For years, reading scores have remained low.
The achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children is
not
only dishearteningly wide, but also grows bigger the longer students
stay
in school. As a consequence of the No Child Left Behind law, some
localities have mandated that schools devote large chunks of time to
reading in early grades. In California, for example, it's 150 minutes
per
day. You'd think such an intensity of effort would yield
proportionately
big results; yet, test scores have risen only modestly or not all, and
the
reading gap between groups remains large. Why? Because many students
have
been taught to decode, but have not been exposed coherently to
important
knowledge, such as the history of the Civil War. They haven't developed
the broad vocabulary that comes with general knowledge.
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040225/5954180s.htm
GATES FOUNDATION EDUCATION DIRECTOR POISED TO TAKE ACTION
As the education director for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
Tom
Vander Ark is shaping what is easily the most aggressive infusion of
private money into the nation's public schools today, if not ever. In
the
last five years, the foundation has committed more than $1 billion for
new
and existing public schools, with no intentions of slowing down, giving
Mr. Vander Ark, 44, one of the loudest megaphones around. He is
anything
but shy about using it, reports Greg Winter. Since joining the
foundation
in 1999, he has been unflinchingly critical of how the public schools
have
"failed and forgotten" poor and minority students, a consequence of
what
he calls a deep-seated "institutionalized racism" rife with low
expectations and a rush of dropouts. His counterattack has come through
investments in about 1,900 public schools, most of them high schools,
with
the aim of creating small institutions that do not merely hope their
students will go on to college, but demand nothing less of them.
Philanthropists had rarely plunged into the business of creating new
high
schools, and the choice gave the foundation relatively untrodden
terrain
on which to make a very public imprint. Mr. Gates and his wife,
Melinda,
give Mr. Vander Ark wide latitude, largely deferring to his judgment
about
where the money should go, and why. Still, they question him
persistently
in long, intense sessions, keenly aware that they are taking very big
risks on schools that are often long-term bets, at best.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/25/nyregion/25gates.html?pagewanted=1
BEATING THE BUBBLE TEST: THE COST OF BECOMING AN NCLB SUCCESS
Literacy first, canoe trips later, is the new bargain at
Garfield/Franklin
elementary in Muscatine, Iowa. But with increases on standardized tests
come other more substantive losses, reports Amanda Ripley. Creative
writing, social studies and computer work have all become occasional
indulgences. Now that the standardized fill-in-the-bubble test is the
foundation upon which public schools rest -- now that a federal law
called
No Child Left Behind mandates that kids as young as 9 meet benchmarks
in
reading and math or jeopardize their schools' reputation -- there is
little time for anything else. Franklin is one of the new law's success
stories. After landing on the dreaded Schools in Need of Improvement
list
two years ago, the students and staff clawed their way off it. The
percentage of fourth-graders who passed the reading test rose from 58
to
74 percent; in math, proficiency went from 58 to 86 percent. Last year
Franklin was removed from "the bad list," as one child calls it.
Through
rote drills, one-on-one test talks and rigorous analysis of students'
weaknesses, Franklin has become a reluctant model for the rest of the
nation. It has also become a very different place. The kids are better
readers, mathematicians and test takers. But while Democratic
presidential
candidates have been lambasting the law's funding levels, Franklin's
teachers talk of other things. They bemoan a loss of spontaneity,
breadth
and play -- problems money won't fix. The trade-off may be worth it,
but
it is important to acknowledge the costs.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1101040301-593550%2C00.html
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY: LESSONS FOR EDUCATION
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is a performance-based
accountability
system built around student test results. The accountability system
comprises explicit educational goals, assessments for measuring the
attainment of goals and judging success, and consequences (rewards or
sanctions). But the mechanisms through which the system is intended to
work are not well understood. Brian M. Stecher and Sheila Nataraj Kirby
led an examination of five accountability models from non-education
sectors. Although education faces unique challenges, the authors
conclude
that educators can learn much from these other sectors. Accountability
guidelines suggest the importance of focused institutional
self-assessment, understanding school and district operations as a
production process, being able to develop and apply a knowledge base
about
effective practice, and empowering participants in the process to
contribute to improvement efforts. The job training and risk-adjustment
models and the legal and health care accountability models provide
specific guidance on how to enhance system-wide accountability in
education by broadening performance measures; making sure performance
goals are fair to all students and schools; developing standards of
practice in promising areas; and encouraging professional
accountability.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG136/
MAKING THE CASE FOR MORE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOLS
Meaningful parental involvement in schools is more important than ever
--
and now it means a lot more than helping with homework or working at
bake
sales. Making the case for a greater role for parents and practical
advice
on how to make it happen in every school provide the focus of a new
report
from the Center for Parent Leadership at the Prichard Committee for
Academic Excellence and KSA-Plus Communications. The Case for Parent
Leadership "helps create a new definition of what parents need to be
able
to do when they work with schools," said Bev Raimondo, director of the
Center for Parent Leadership. The report, noting the national push for
academic proficiency by 2014, contends that the goal will not be
reached
without a major increase in parental involvement in schools. "Thirty
years
of research studies show that when parents are engaged in their
children's
learning, their children do better in school -- and the schools get
better. School improvement programs must take this research into
account."
http://www.centerforparentleadership.org/products.htm
THE EFFECTS OF SCHOOL FACILITY QUALITY ON TEACHER RETENTION
The attrition of both new and experienced teachers is a great challenge
for schools and school administrators throughout the United States,
particularly in large urban districts. Because of the importance of
this
issue, there is a large empirical literature that investigates why
teachers quit and how they might be better induced to stay. Authors
Jack
Buckley, Mark Schneider, and Yi Shang build upon this literature by
suggesting another important factor: the quality of school facilities.
They investigate the importance of facility quality using data from a
survey of K-12 teachers in Washington, D.C. and find that facility
quality
is an important predictor of the decision of teachers to leave their
current position.
http://www.edfacilities.org/pubs/teacherretention.html
NEW PRE-K BRIEFS SHOW NEED FOR HIGH-QUALITY PROGRAMS
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids releases new state-by-state briefs on the
need
for high-quality pre-kindergarten. These briefs show that thousands of
the
most at-risk children are not receiving high-quality programs proven to
reduce crime and save money, and that parents are unable to afford the
programs that are offered.
http://www.fightcrime.org/reports/stateCC.html
WHO GRADUATES? WHO DOESN'T?
The most extensive set of systematic empirical findings to date on
public
school graduation rates, this study includes detailed descriptive
statistics and analytic results for the nation as a whole, by
geographical
region, and for each of the states. The study by Christopher Swanson
and
also offers a detailed perspective on high school completion by
examining
graduation rates for the overall student population, for specific
racial
and ethnic groups, and by gender, and analysis of graduation rate
patterns
for particular types of school districts. Barely half of all black,
Hispanic and Native American students who entered U.S. high schools in
2000 will receive diplomas this year, according to a new report by the
Urban Institute that challenges conventional methods of calculating
graduation rates. Of all students who entered 9th grade four years ago,
only 68% are expected to graduate with regular diplomas this year and
the
rates for minorities are considerably lower. Methods of calculating
graduation rates are a perpetual subject of debate, and there are many
differences in the ways states and school systems report data.
http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=410934
TOWARD A STRONG PROFESSION
Sociologists have, of course, written many volumes about the
characteristics of a profession. According to Ellen Condliffe Lagemann,
strong professions have two outstanding features. First, they can
certify
the competence of their members to act more effectively on the problems
of
their guild than nonmembers can do. Second, they exercise considerable
influence in the governance of the domain in which they act. How could
education become a strong profession? Lagemann offers four bold steps
in
this Education Week feature:
http://www.edweek.com/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=24lagemann.h23
RAISE THE STATUS OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Teachers should have various levels of expertise to attain similar to
those recognized by professorial rank at a university. For example, a
teacher might begin as an intern, with succeeding steps such as teacher
and master teacher awarded with experience and demonstrated competence.
To
keep it truly professional the evaluation should be done by peers from
other schools to ensure objectivity and professional integrity.
According
to Alfred S. Posamentier, no profession pays all its practitioners the
same salary. We cannot imagine all lawyers, physicians and accountants
working from the same fee schedule. Why, then, should we pay all
teachers
from the same salary schedule? If teaching is to be a proper
profession,
let's pay the most effective teachers more. And, in recognition of
supply
and demand, let's pay the teachers in high-need areas more. Working
conditions are the most important factors in obtaining and retaining
high
quality teachers. To increase professionalism, the radical suggestions
here might first be tried on a limited basis, and if successful they
could
be spread further. But if we do not try, then we are not addressing the
issues that can significantly improve the school system. Merely raising
teacher salaries "across the board," without any changes in the
professional status of teachers, solves little.
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vppos243683966feb24,0,7110031.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines
DESIGN YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PLAN
"By Your Own Design," a self-paced tool from the Eisenhower National
Clearinghouse and the National Staff Development Council, can help
teachers create and implement an individual professional learning plan.
"Our goal is to provide key resources about important aspects of
learner-centered professional development. We hope also to inspire you
to
adapt strategies to meet your needs and to work with your peers to
solve
problems in your schools." At the project homepage, teachers find an
overview of the materials, a description of four "pathways" (teacher
who
is just starting, teacher with learning plan in place, teacher leader
or
staff developer, and principal), and access to a wealth of resources.
(Use
the Jump Start link, one example: how to build a professional learning
community in your school.) This is a huge resource -- well worth
exploring!
http://www.enc.org/professional/guide/index.shtm
BARNSTORMING FOR NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LAW
As he campaigns for re-election, President Bush hopes to capitalize on
the
law, known as No Child Left Behind, as one of the pillars of his
domestic
agenda. But the Democratic presidential candidates have made it a
frequent
target of criticism and ridicule. And things are not going that well
even
in Utah, one of the most Republican of states. Not only the law's
financing, but provisions that expand standardized testing to improve
achievement and that label schools as underperforming when even small
groups of students miss proficiency targets, have stirred discontent
nationwide among educators and local politicians. So Ken Meyer's job --
and the job of more than 10 other federal education officials -- is to
barnstorm the country, serving as part goodwill diplomat, part
flak-catcher, calming emotions and clarifying misunderstandings, writes
Sam Dillon.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2001862877_nochild22.html
U.S. STUDENTS STILL GETTING THE PADDLE
The debate over whether corporal punishment has a place in American
education became very personal for Ralph McLaney when the principal of
Carver Middle School ordered him to paddle a sixth-grade student who
had
acted up in class. A decision last month by the Canadian Supreme Court
to
outlaw the use of the strap by teachers has left the United States and
a
lone state in Australia as the only parts of the industrialized world
to
allow corporal punishment in schools, according to anti-paddling
activists. While 28 U.S. states have outlawed paddling over the past
three
decades, the practice remains commonplace across much of the Bible
Belt,
reports Michael Dobbs. In Mississippi, the nation's top paddling state,
nearly 10 percent of students are paddled every year, according to
statistics collected by the federal Department of Education. In poorer
parts of the state, where a higher proportion of children are from
minority and single-parent families, the use of corporal punishment is
even more frequent. "The point is to get the students' attention, not
to
inflict pain," said Carver Middle School principal Earnest Ward.
"Sometimes all you have to do is hold a paddle up, and it will scare a
student to death. Others are not afraid of it at all."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59059-2004Feb20.html
BLACK STUDENTS DISCIPLINED MORE
Black students are still more likely than white students to be
disciplined
at school - three decades after American education documented the
disparity. The difference in discipline and punishments is blamed on
stereotypes, culture, poverty and behavior, writes Jennifer Mrozowski
and
John Byczkowski. Three-fourths of 40 Southwest Ohio school districts
disciplined African-Americans at higher rates than whites last year, an
analysis of school discipline data shows. In more than half of schools,
blacks were twice as likely to be suspended and sent home for at least
one
day. Comparable data for Northern Kentucky schools is not available.
However, a state report released in January said that black public
school
students across Kentucky accounted for 22 percent of disciplinary
actions
even though they made up just 10 percent of the student population.
"Our
response should be colorblind" when kids get into trouble at school,
"but
for some reason it's not," says Alton Frailey, superintendent of
Cincinnati Public Schools. City schools expelled African-American
students
at twice the rate of whites last year, and gave blacks out-of-school
suspensions at triple the rate of whites. Frailey says school districts
must carefully examine reasons for the black/white disparity and then
search for ways to confront it.
http://www.enquirer.com/discipline/disciplineday3main.html
GIFTED EDUCATION AS A WHOLE SCHOOL MODEL
Joseph S. Renzulli, director of the National Research Center on the
Gifted
and Talented, advocates for lessons that challenge all levels of
learners,
including gifted students. In this interview with Education World,
Renzulli argues that "the most important thing we can do to raise
expectations is to broaden our concept of achievement beyond the rather
simplistic notion that it is only what is measured on achievement
tests.
High expectations should include a broad range of higher level thinking
skills and creative and practical thinking, as well as the ability to
apply knowledge to real life experiences, engage in problem finding and
focusing as well as problem solving, work cooperatively with others,
and
learn how to evaluate one's own work in order to make continuous
improvements."
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat092.shtml
A YELLOW LIGHT FOR DRIVER EDUCATION AS FUNDS DRY UP
It's a rite of passage, that first turn behind the wheel in driver's
education, and one that generations of students have steered through in
courses taught at public high schools in Washington state. But those
courses may be going the way of two-door hardtops and dollar-a-gallon
gas,
reports Gregory Roberts. The Legislature eliminated a long-standing
state
subsidy for driver's ed in 2002, and cash-strapped school districts
responded by increasing the fees for the courses to cover their
operating
costs. Enrollment has declined, with students either unable to afford
the
higher costs or migrating to commercial driving schools, which offer
the
required instruction at comparable prices and in a shorter time period
than what the state mandates for the public system. With driver's ed,
teens as young as 16 can get a license; without it, they must wait
until
they are 18. And as fewer students sign up for the public-school
courses,
the cost per student rises. As a result, more and more school districts
are dropping the courses altogether.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/161826_ecenter24.html
|---------------GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION--------------|
"VH1 Battle of the Bands Contest Announced"
To promote music education in both schools and at home, Paramount Home
Entertainment, VH1 Save The Music and the American Music Conference
have
banded together to develop a nationwide contest encouraging students to
create and record their own original song. Celebrating the DVD release
of
SCHOOL OF ROCK on March 2, the "VH1/SCHOOL OF ROCK Battle of the Bands
Contest" will enable middle and high school students aged from 13-19 to
compete for the chance to have their original recording produced into a
music video and aired by VH1. The contest will run through March 31,
2004.
http://www.pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=5023
"Technology Preparation for K-12 School Leaders"
The University of Minnesota School Technology Leadership Initiative is
addressing the nationwide shortage of school administrators who can
effectively facilitate the implementation of technology in schools and
school districts. The only academic program in the country based on the
National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators (NETS-A),
the
STLI is at the national forefront of technology preparation for K-12
school leaders and is supported by nearly 40 corporate and
organizational
partners. Deadline for applications is April 12, 2004.
http://www.schooltechleadership.org/
"Target"
Target will release applications on March 1 for grantmaking in the area
of
arts, early childhood reading and family violence prevention. Grants
range
from $1,000-3,000 and applications will be accepted through May 31,
2004.
http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/index.jhtml
"Department of Education Forecast of Funding"
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which
the Department of Education has invited or expects to invite
applications
for new awards for FY 2004 and provides actual or estimated deadline
dates
for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are
in
the form of charts -- organized according to the Department's principal
program offices -- and include programs and competitions we have
previously announced, as well as those they plan to announce at a later
date. Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official
application notice of the Department of Education. They expect to
provide
updates to this document through July 2004.
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
"Grantionary"
The Grantionary is a list of grant-related terms and their definitions.
http://www.eduplace.com/grants/help/grantionary.html
"GrantsAlert"
GrantsAlert is a website that helps nonprofits, especially those
involved
in education, secure the funds they need to continue their important
work.
http://www.grantsalert.com/
"Grant Writing Tips"
SchoolGrants has compiled an excellent set of grant writing tips for
those
that need help in developing grant proposals.
http://www.schoolgrants.org/tips.htm
"FastWEB"
FastWEB is the largest online scholarship search available, with
600,000
scholarships representing over one billion in scholarship dollars. It
provides students with accurate, regularly updated information on
scholarships, grants, and fellowships suited to their goals and
qualifications, all at no cost to the student. Students should be
advised
that FastWEB collects and sells student information (such as name,
address, e-mail address, date of birth, gender, and country of
citizenship) collected through their site.
http://www.fastweb.com/
"Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)"
More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make
hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier
to
find. The result of that work is the FREE website.
http://www.ed.gov/free/
"Fundsnet Online Services"
A comprehensive website dedicated to providing nonprofit organizations,
colleges, and Universities with information on financial resources
available on the Internet.
http://www.fundsnetservices.com/
"eSchool News School Funding Center"
Information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and
technology funding.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding/
"Philanthropy News Digest"
Philanthropy News Digest, a weekly news service of the Foundation
Center,
is a compendium, in digest form, of philanthropy-related articles and
features culled from print and electronic media outlets nationwide.
http://fdncenter.org/pnd/
"School Grants"
A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and
obtain special grants for a variety of projects.
http://www.schoolgrants.org
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Each man takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him. But a day
comes when he begins to care that he does not cheat his neighbor. Then
all
goes well -- he has changed his market cart into a chariot of the sun."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson (author/philosopher/poet)
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